Social Health Care for Healing Syrian Refugees

We just returned from our recent trip to Jordan and Germany. In Jordan, SHC staff and volunteers ran four days of clinics for refugee families including support groups and supportive counseling. During the clinic days, we also ran trainings for students and volunteers who are working with the SHC pilot clinics program: Psychologists from the U.S. and Germany offered 4 days of training in Internal Family Systems Model of psychotherapy; the use of expressive arts in treating trauma; and yoga as body therapy for trauma. The students/volunteers participated in all of the services provided to the refugee families as opportunity to witness hands on treatment for the issues being presented. It was energizing for all and has served as catalyst for expanding the services we are able to offer. Additionally, Common Bond sponsored its annual International Conference in Transgenerational Trauma and a large portion of the students and volunteers were able to participate in those trainings as well.

We were able to send from Jordan and the U.S., SHC staff to Germany as part of our efforts to bridge services between Jordan and Europe. The intent of the bridge is to provide cultural sensitivity training to people serving the refugee population in Europe and in exchange have German/other European professionals provide trainings in trauma treatment modalities to SHC staff, students, and volunteers in Jordan. As part of that exchange, we gathered in Freiburg, Germany for an international conference on the refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe. The conference provided some trainings in :a support group model for working with refugee mothers in Jordan which was extremely well received; grief work as part of the refugee process; and gang development as a psychospiritual attempt to create belonging and family amongst disenfranchised young refugees. The primary purpose of the conference was to create dialogue about what is working/not working in helping refugees integrate in Germany. And then to make specific policy recommendations to government officials in hope of creating a better working process in addressing refugee integration. The conference was attended by numerous government officials, NGO's, support staff, and volunteers who are working to support Syrian refugees in Germany. From these dialogues a number of recommendations are being drawn up and we are soliciting institutional support to endorse the recommendations to give them more import to powers that be. 

Following the conference, SHC staff consulted with staff at one of the refugee camps in Germany to talk about issues they are having. Focus was on staff self care and stress management and a number of recommendations suggested in the consultation are being incorporated currently. SHC staff provided a demonstration support group with men refugees from Africa as the camp staff had identified them as being difficult to work with. Many of these men had been traumatized either through enslavement or torture. The group did some stress management teaching and some personal healing work around trauma. The group was well received by the men and staff who attended asked for more such groups in the future. 

Lastly, a training in trauma informed support for religious clergy/teachers led by Michigan State University and assisted by SHC staff was held. Michigan State University's Department of Psychiatry has done dozens of these trainings throughout the U.S. and overseas. Religious leaders often find themselves in a position of being asked to give psychological support to people who have had traumatic experiences that is beyond their traditional training. This training in Jordan last year and in Germany this year gives participants an overview in what happens when people are suffering with trauma and when the religious clergy should refer people to professionals. It helps normalize these events within the refugee community and open the door to their getting services. The hunger for these trainings by the religous leaders is readily apparent and efforts will be made to offer more.